Letter to Google

I’ve been fairly happy with Google’s Blogger service. However, I just discovered on oddity with Google’s “AdSense” program. I sent a letter to Google complaining about the problem. And, I thought, what’s more appropriately ironic than using Google’s Blogger service to complain about Google? Here’s the letter:

“Sites displaying Google ads may not include… advocacy against any individual, group, or organization.”

According to this policy, if I wish to use AdSense, I cannot “advocate against” the KKK, a dangerous cult, or a political movement that I regard as harmful.

Most of your other restrictions make sense, but this one does not. Moreover, I suspect that the large majority of your AdSense users flagrantly violate the policy on a daily basis. However, I will not sign up for AdSense knowing that I fully intend to violate the policy as stated. If you wish to rephrase your policy so that it does not explicitly prohibit normal and responsible blogging, then I will again consider the program.

2 thoughts on “Letter to Google”

Good luck. Google uses this ambiguity to enforce selectively in favor of groups it likes. Some years ago, I worked with a group of Objectivist that advocated war against state sponsors of terrorism. When Google found out what we stood for, they canceled our AdSense ads.

That’s too bad, Ari. Do other services have similar restrictions? Perhaps Yahoo’s service (http://publisher.yahoo.com) is better. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t another service that does not impose content restrictions.